The Front Office

With 10 years as an owner and only three playoff appearances to show for it, Daniel Snyder is running short on patience. But management is convinced it has assembled a team that will be competitive in the NFC East. Often the target of fan criticism, the team's front office, headed by Vinny Cerrato (right), executive vice president of football operations, made several moves to upgrade the roster from last season. But it also neglected to significantly improve one of the biggest areas of concern: the offensive line. In a drama-filled offseason, Snyder clumsily sought to replace quarterback Jason Campbell. The Redskins failed in attempts to acquire Jay Cutler and Mark Sanchez, but Campbell's confidence didn't seem to suffer much damage from the offseason soap opera. Last season, only one of the team's 10 draft picks managed any significant contribution (seventh-rounder Chris Horton), and the front office was determined to pluck more impact players in April. Though they entered the draft with just two picks in the first four rounds, the Redskins have high hopes for their first-round selection, Brian Orakpo, a defensive end-linebacker out of Texas. Despite holding four remaining picks, they opted not to select an offensive lineman. Even worse, in free agency, they did little to address the line. The Redskins brought back guard Derrick Dockery to bolster the left side but are counting on third-year tackle Stephon Heyer to anchor the right side. In addition to drafting Orakpo, offseason bright spots include re-signing cornerback DeAngelo Hall and signing Albert Haynesworth, a two-time all-pro at defensive tackle.